Amusement apparatus.



F. J. LILIENPELD.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1913.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

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Mung] Q 3 M v llll .(Jll Illlijz! wwl. A. Q. m H6401 L m. h r .n.\ \N m b W. w QN QN THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTOLITHO, WASHINGTON, D. C.

P. J. LILIENFBLD.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1913.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

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E] woe/nice V FJLz'Zz'eneZaZ THE NORRIS PErERs CO, PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C.

F. J. LILIENPELD. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. s, 1913.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE NQRRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTOLITHO WASHING TOIL D C lUNlTFiD %TAFE% PATENT @FFFCE.

FREEMAN J. LILIENFELD, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

menses.

Application filed March 6, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREEMAN J. LILIEN- ruin), a citizen of the United States, and resident of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to amuse ment apparatus and consists in the combina tion and arrangement of elements herein after disclosed and particularly set forth in the accompanying claims.

The invention has for its purpose to provide an amusement apparatus and more especially of a slideway wherein the person slides from an elevated platform down an inclined plane and onto a dip and then lands on his feet, in which the construction may be readily assembled or disassembled for convenience in erection and transportation; and wherein the different sections of the inclined plane may be replaced when worn or for other causes.

The invention has for its further purpose to provide a slideway having associated. therewith a dip which is adjustable to the end that the same may be regulated in accordance with the varying weather conditions, for controlling the speed of the person sliding thereon, and for efiecting various sensations to the persons participating in the amusement.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved amusement device. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the matting adapted to be used with my device. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail side elevational View of the lower or dip end of the device. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the device. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the steps taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 and showing one of the step boards disconne'cted. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of one end of the slide taken on the line 66 of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one end of the slide showing the manner of connecting the lower or dip end with the upper or rigid end. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the piers showing the manner of assembling the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, ions.

Serial NO. 752,440.

various parts thereof, and Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view of the guard showing the parts connected together.

Referring to the construction in detail the apparatus consists of three piers 1, 2 and 3, preferably of I beam construction, the pier 1 being suitably braced on all sides by means of angle bars 4: and the adjustable tie rods 5, in substantially the manner shown. The pier l is provided with a platform 5 which is properly guarded along three sides by a guard 6. Each of the piers 2 and 3 have their uprights suitably connected and braced by means of the angle bars 7 and the adjustable tie rods 8 and the uprights of all of the piers have their lower ends 9 mounted within the sockets 10 formed on the base plates 11 for securely anchoring the piers to the ground as clearly shown in Figs. 1,

4 and 9.

To the upper ends of the pier uprights are secured the blocks 12 for fitting within the sockets 13 formed in the transversely disposed pair of angle bars 14 which connect at suitable intervals the parallel frames l5, l6 and 17 of the amusement apparatus, the frames 15 and 16 dividing the incline into the slideway and the frames 16 and 17 dividing the incline into the stairway or ladder after the manner shown in Fig. 4- T he side frames are preferably formed of angle iron construction and have their upper bars 18 and lower bars 19 connected by means of a. plurality of suitable brace pieces 20.

The slideway per 86 consists of a plurality of sections, each of which comprises a plurality of cross pieces 22 constructed preferably of wood, and having secured thereon by any proper means and in close arrangement a series of ratan strips 23 arranged with their curved surfaces upward to provide a slideway plane. The cross pieces 22 are secured at either side to the lower angle bars 19 of the side frames 15 and 16 respec tively, through the medium of bolts 24. And, the adjacent sections are assembled so that they are off-set relatively in successive order in the direction of the discharge end of the device (see Fig. 6) to the end that the surface presented will form a plane free from obstruction which would otherwise offer a dangerous obstacle to the persons using the slide.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen I that any one or more of the sections may be removed from the supporting framework for replacement of the several sections dis-assembled for the purpose of transportation; and there are the further advantages of this construction that the slideway may be conveniently and rapidly assembled, and manufactured more perfectly and at cheaper cost than would be the case if the whole slideway were constructed as a single unit.

The ladder or stairway comprises a plurality of removable step boards 25 held between the angle bars 26 and 27 connecting the upper and lower bars 18 and 19 of the parallel frames 16 and 17 as clearly shown in Figs. 4: and 5. Removable pins 28 passing through the angle bars 26 and 27 and the side edges of the steps are provided for securing the steps into position and to prevent their accidental displacement when the apparatus is assembled. The guard 6 is also mounted on the outside frame of the stairway and comprises the posts or risers 29 and the baluster rail 30 (see Figs. 1 and 10). The guard is also designed to be quickly assembled and disassembled and has the lower ends of its risers connected within the sockets 31, by means of bayonet joints 32 and the baluster rail 30 connected to the risers by means of heads 33 having hooks 83 mounted on the ends of the risers and fitting within the slots 34; cut on the underside of the baluster rail as clearly shown in Fig. 10.

The adjustable dip or section which is lrcated preferably on the lower end of the slideway consists of a supporting frame comprising angle bars 35 adapted to rest on the ground, and pivoted upright bars 36 located at the extreme end of the slideway, see Figs. 1 and 3.

The ratan strips 23 forming the supporting surface of the dip are, as with the sections of the slideway above described, mounted on cross pieces 22 and are secured in any proper manner to a pair of flat metallic bars 37 disposed to either side of the slideway and loosely mounted within the troughs on the lower angle bars 19 of the parallel frames 15 and 16 (see Fig. 8). The extreme ends of the supporting bars 37 are secured to the pivoted uprights 36 through the medium of bolts 37 so that they will admit of proper adjustment when the adjustment of the dip is effected.

The means for effecting adjustment or flexing of the dip comprises a pair of screws 4L0, only one being shown, each threaded in a suitable bearing 42 on the bar 37, and having a head 43 adapted to receive a manipulating tool. A. lug 14 is secured to each of the bars 35 and has engagement with the screw 40 whereby adjustment of said screw will serve to elevate or depress the dip as desired.

In using the slide each person is provided with a mat or seat constructed preferably of any material which will offer the least resistance to the ratan surface for obvious reasons. In the use of the slideway as herein described itis proposed to employ a mat comprising a fabric 45 of cocoa or other like material and a napier fabric matting 46 underlying the mat 15 and secured thereto by a suitable binding or stitching 47. The matting 46 has a portion 48 which overlies a portion of the opposite face of the matting 15.

In the using of a mat constructed as herein described, the person may ride with a variety of speeds accordinglyas he desires or as will be determined by different conditions of the atmosphere which would effect the surface of the slideway as will be appreciated. Thus he may present either end of the cocoa matting and in like manner may present either end of the napier mat ting. Since the construction of the sliding piece forms no part of the claims in the present case, its further detailed description of the manner in which it may be variously used, need not be given.

My improvement may be given a great variety of modified constructions without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not limit myself to any of the details herein shown and described save as stated in my respective claims.

Claims:

1. In an amusement apparatus the combination of a plurality of piers of relatively different heights providing an inclined supporting structure; and a plurality of sections mounted on said structure, said sections having their adjacent edges arranged in relatively offset planes substantially as described.

2. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of an inclined slide-way; and a flexible section forming a sliding surface therewith, substantially as described.

3. In an amusement apparatus the combination of an inclined slide-way; a flexible section forming a sliding surface therewith; and means for flexing said section to vary the sliding surface thereof, substantially as described.

4:. In an amusement apparatus the combination of an inclined slide-wayga curved flexible section associated therewith and forming a sliding surface, said section comprising flexible bars disposed in parallel relation, cross pieces mounted on said bars, strips mounted on said cross pieces and forming the sliding surface; and means for flexing said flexible section to effect different curved conditions thereof, substantially as described.

5. In an amusement apparatus the combination of a plurality of piers of relatively different heights; a plurality of parallel frames mounted on said piers and providing therewith an inclined supporting structure; a slide-way comprising removable sections mounted on said structure; and a dip associated with said slide-way, said dip comprising flexible bars supported at one end by said supporting structure, means movably supporting the opposite ends of said bars, cross pieces secured to said bars, strips mounted on said cross pieces and forming a sliding surface; and adjusting devices associated with said flexible bars for flexing the same to vary said sliding surface, substantially as described.

6. A dip for slideways comprising a flexible body and means for flexing the said body intermediate the ends thereof, substantially as described.

7. A flexible clip for slide-ways comprising a suitable support, flexible metallic bars adapted to have the respective ends thereof fixedly and adjustably mounted on said support; cross pieces removably secured to said bars, strips assembled in close arrangement and mounted on said cross pieces and forming a sliding surface; and screw adjusting devices associated with said flexible bars and adapted for flexing the same to vary said sliding surface, substantially as described.

8. A portable amusement device of the class described comprising a plurality of piers of relatively different heights; a platform mounted on one of the piers; a slide- Way connecting the piers; a stairway adjacent to the slideway and supported by the piers and an adjustable and flexible dip mounted to form an extension of the lower end of the slideway, substantially as described.

9. A dip for slideways comprising parallel and flexible strips, and members mounted on the said flexible strips and providing a sliding surface, substantially as described.

10. A portable amusement device of the class described comprising a plurality of piers of relatively different heights; frames connecting the piers; a slideway mounted on the frames; a stairway mounted on the frames and located adjacent the slideway and an adjustable and flexible dip mounted to form an extension of the slideway, substantially as described.

11. In a portable amusement device, the combination of an inclined slideway comprising knock-down sections and an adjustable and flexible dip associated therewith, substantially as described.

12. In a portable amusement device, the combination of an inclined slideway comprising knock-down sections, and an adj ustable and flexible dip associated therewith and arrangedon the lower end of the slideway, substantially as described.

Signed at Washington, in the District of Columbia, this 6th day of March A. D. 1913.

FREEMAN J. LILIENFELD.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH ROMAN, H. J. GRUBB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

